Public Service Alliance of Canada BC

May is Child Care Month. The Child Care – Let’s Make It Happen! and Code Blue 2007 tour will be visiting a half-dozen BC communities between May 11-25. Events are being co-organized with local groups in Victoria, Duncan, Vernon, Castlegar, Prince Rupert and Richmond. This tour has come together very quickly, and details are still being finalized in locations such as Prince Rupert.

While events have a different flavour in each community – depending on local co-organizing groups, most will feature a public forum. Discussion will include a brief overview of the benefits and costs of building a child care system in BC, and the economic and social benefits other countries and provinces are realizing from investing in universal child care systems. Speakers include Morna Ballantyne, from the national Code Blue for Child Care campaign, a representative from the Coalition of Child Care Advocates of BC, and local child care representatives. Union members are urged to attend and speak out.

• VERNON - Tuesday May 15 11am-1:30pm
• Community Action Forum - Child Care Crisis
• Schubert Centre
• Info: Leigha Horsfield 545-5705 or Lynne Reside 558-9963

• CASTLEGAR - Thursday May 17, 7pm
• Community Child Care Forum
• Castlegar Recreation & Aquatic Centre, Selkirk Room, 2102 6th Ave.
• Info: 354-4808 or toll-free 1-800-667-1061

• PRINCE RUPERT - Wednesday May 23
• Morning tour - child care centres
• Lunch Forum - guest speakers & action discussion
• Community Child Care Dinner – 6:30pm
• Info: 622-2298

• RICHMOND - Friday May 25, 4-4:30pm
• Tour Wrap – guest speakers & slide show
• Early Childhood Educators of BC conference ‘Honouring Childhood’
• Best Western Richmond Hotel and Convention Centre
• Info: 604-291-9611

The British Invasion - Would UK-style changes to our health care system benefit patients? Or corporations?

A Public health care forum, supporting positive, public solutions to make Medicare stronger in BC

• Kamloops - Tuesday, May 15: 7pm-9pm
• Thompson River University Alumni Theatre, Clock Tower Building, Kamloops
• Featuring: Jacky Davis, London doctor and founding member of Keep NHS Public; Will McMartin, Political commentator & contributor to The Tyee; and Marlene Anderson Positive Action Toward a Caring Health System

• Vancouver - Thursday, May 17: 7pm-9pm
• Croatian Cultural Centre, 3250 Commercial Drive, Auditorium 2
• Featuring: Jacky Davis, London doctor and founding member of Keep NHS Public; Will McMartin, Political commentator & contributor to The Tyee